Store-service apparatus.



Patented 0hr. 28, 1902:

0. J. MILLER. STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

(Application filed Dec. 17, 1900.) (No Model.)

UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES J. MILLER, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA. 1

[STORE-SERVICEAP ARATUS.

srncrrronrrolv forming part of Letters Patent No. 712,398, dated October 28, 1902.

l Application filed lleeemherl'l, 1900. Serial No. 40,083. (No model.) i i To all whom Zi lion/my concern: p Be it known that I, CHARLES J MILLER, a

citizen of the United States of America, and i a resident of the city of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and. useful Im provements in Store-Service Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to store-service apparatus, and particularly to means for stopping the parcel or package carriers of systems employed in store service at the bundle-counter or office-station, and has for its object the provision of means adapted to prevent oscil-.

lation of the basket or carrier asit arrives at the station and .totake up the impetus and.

impact of the basket-or carrier, so asto minimize the strain upon the .wires, fixturesyand frame, ofme'ans whereby as the car arrives at the bundle-counterlstation and is there stopped all oscillation of thebasket or carrier is prevented, the impetus or momentum being taken up by frictional means, whereby all noise is eliminated.

More specifically the invention consists'in the combination, with the station, of means in.

connection therewith whereby the carrier or basket is stopped by frictional contact with said means without noise.

More specifically the invention consists in the combination, with the bundle-station, of means provided in proximity thereto and in the path of the incoming.- carrier, whereby said carrier comes in-contact with said means and the frictional contact of the carrieror basket with said means stops said carrier or basket, taking up its impact and impetus gradually and noiselessly, relievingall strain from the wires and fixtures.

The inventionconsists, further, in the constructions and combinationsofparts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims, and will be more readily under stood by reference to the accompanying drawin gs, forming part of this specification, in Whichf Figure 1 is a side elevation of a store apparatus embodying my invention, the carrier being shown in dotted lines in the position in which-it stands after its receipt at the station. Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the arms or castings which I provide for supporting the frietion arms or:bars. Fig. 4: is 'a'detail view of one of said arms or castings and the frictional arm grip-piece. Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line a a ofFig. 1.

- As shown 'in the drawings, 2 represents the lever-foot, which is secured in the hanger 3, in] turn secured on the plate 4, suspended from the pipe 5. All of these parts may be of the ordinary or any preferred construction, or any means for holding or supporting the lever-foot desired or preferred may be used. The lever 6 is pivoted in the fork of the foot 2, as shown. The wires 14c and 15 are attached to the front and rear ends of the lever 6, as shown, respectively. A suitable handle ,8 is provided on .the lever, by

which the same is operated. Two arms or castings 9 of the form shown best in Fig. 4 are provided at respective ends with the flanges 1'0' and the serrated grips 7. These arms are adapted to encircle the lever-foot 2, as shown, and are held in place by suitable bolts and nuts, as shown. The curved friction arms or bars'll'are supported and held between the grips 7 and the serrated plates 12 by four bolts passingythrough holes in said grips and plates, the grips 7 being serrated to correspond to the inherfaces of the plates. The bolt-holes are preferably s0 spaced as to permit the insertion of the arms or forks 11 in place between the respective pairs of bolts, thus permitting the horizontal and vertical adjustment of the arms or forks therein. The friction arms or forks 11 are preferably covered With leather, rubber, or

other material adapted to deaden the noise,

. the arms or forks being preferablyof wood or spring metal and preferably slightlycurved, as shown. The carrier 16 is provided with two pairs of wheels, the upper wheel of each pair adapted to run on the upper wire 14 and the lowerwheel of each pair adapted to run against the lower wire 15. These wheels are mounted on axles 17, which are preferably in the form of short bolts, being retained in place by suitable nuts 18. I provide brackets 19 on the sides of the carrier, having outwardly-turned lower ends orlugs 19,adapted to contact with the friction arms or forks 11 when the carrier approaches the station. These brackets have slots 20, through which the carrier-axles are passed, and are held in position on the sides of the carrier by the heads of the axles and the nuts 18. Vertical adjustment of these brackets 19 is provided by the slots 20, as shown.

In operation the carrier 16 is propelled toward the bundle-counter station by the operator pulling down the lever 6 by the handle at the'outlying station. The wires 14 and 15 are thus separated and the carrier or carimpelled toward the home-station. As the carrier passes between the forks 11 the lugs 19 .of the brackets 19 ride up on said forks or arms and the carrier is gradually stopped. The heavier the load in the carrier the greater the impetus or force with which the carrier arrives at the home or bundle-counter station and the greater the friction between the ends or lugs 19 of the brackets and the forks 11, owing to the weight of the carrier and contents. In returning the carrier to the outlying station the carrier is raised, with the wire 14, upon the pulling down of the lever, so that the arms or lugs 19are raised from contact with the forks 11, permitting the carrier to move freely from the station.

Many equivalents of parts shown and described may be substituted or its equivalent may be used either at the outlying or home station without departing from the spirit or scope of my invention, and I do not limit myself to the exact mechanisms or constructions shown or described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- Y;

1. The combination, in a store-service apparatus, with a station, of a wire or track suitably supported therefrom and a carrier adapted to operate thereon, of means adjustably supported from said station-and independent of said wire or track, extending in the path of the incoming carrier, by which said incoming carrier is raised from said wire or track and noiselessly stopped and the impetus and impact thereof thereby taken up independent of said wire or track, substan tially as described.

2. The combination, in a store-service apparatus, with a station or support, of wires l-it and15 supported therefrom, a carrier having upper and lower wheels adapted to run against said respective wires 14 and 15, forks or arms 11 mounted on said station independ- 1 ently of said wires and extending in the'path of the incoming carrier and adapted to raise said carrier from contact with said wires, and means whereby said wire may be raised to lift said carrier from said forks or arms and propel the same out over said wires, substantially as described.

3. In a store-service apparatus, the combination, with a wire or track suitably supported, of a carrier or car adapted to operate thereon, means foroperating said car, and means supported below said wire or track and independently thereof in the path of said car whereby said car is adapted to be stopped by frictional contact therewith and all strain from the impetus and impact of said carrier removed from said wire or track, substantiall y as and for the purpose specified.

4. In a store-service apparatus, the combination, with a wire or track, supporting means therefor, a carrier adapted to operate thereon, means for operating said carrier, and friction arms or forks 11 adjustably supported in the path of said carrier and independent of said wire or track, whereby said carrier is adapted to be stopped by frictional contact therewith, substantially as described.

5. In a store-service apparatus, the combination, with a station, a wire or track suitably supported, and a carrier adapted to operate thereon, of means in operative connection with said station and track and mounted on said station independently of said wire or track whereby as said carrier approaches said station said carrrier israised from said wire or track and its impetus and impact noiselessly taken up, and means whereby said wire or track may be raised and said carrier propelled thereon from said station, substantially as described.

6. In a store-service apparatus, the combination, with a station, a wire or track suitably supported, and a carrier adapted to operate thereon, of means mounted on said station independently of said wire or track in operative connection with said station and track, whereby as said carrier approaches said station said carrier is raised from said wire or track and its impetus and impact thereby taken up, and means whereby after said carrier is stopped said carrier may be operatively connected with said wire or track and sent out thereon, substantially as described.

7. The combination, with wires 14 and 15,

said wires andtakeup its impetus and impact, substantially as described;

I 8. The combination, with a suitable support, of a lever fulcrurned therein, wires 14 and 15 attached .to said. levers at opposite sides of said fulcrum, acar or carrier adapted to operate on said track, parallel arms or forks 11 supported in the path of the incoming carrier, said arms or forks adj ustably mount- 1 ed in grips provided on arms 9 supported on 10 said support, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof witness my hand, at Minneapolis, Minnesota, this 8th day of Octoher, A. D.1900.

CHARLES J. In presence of FREDERICK S. LYON,

G. E. STOCKING.

MILLER. 

